


Lovely Ideas

by Naeshira



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 14:11:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 5,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4022812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naeshira/pseuds/Naeshira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Various prompts that people have sent me on tumblr, mostly Jack/Bitty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Poetry

**Author's Note:**

> To start off, a Dex/Nursey pre-slash type, requested by chillnursey. ((First poem is called April Rain Song, also by Langston Hughes))

Sometimes the three frogs study together in the library. Since Chowder started dating Farmer though, it’s just been the two of them. They get a lot done, surprisingly; with Dex’s penchant for hard work, and Nursey’s fondness for reading his lit assignments. It’s only when one of them gets bored that they have to worry about being kicked out.

Today it’s raining and Nursey closes his history book to stare out the window. Samwell looks beautiful in the rain, nearly empty outside as everyone retreats indoors. It makes him feel poetic.

_Let the rain kiss you_  
_Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops_  
_Let the rain sing you a lullaby_  
_The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk_  
_The rain makes running pools in the gutter_  
_The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night_  
_And I love the rain._

He turns his head to find Dex staring at him. “What?” he grins, “Never heard any Langston Hughes?” 

“You had that all memorized?” Dex asks instead.

Nursey shrugged. He has a lot of poems memorized. Hughes’ poems were the first and fondest of them all, though. “It’s actually one of his shorter ones.”

“Huh.” Dex says, before looking back down at his notes. He has a midterm coming up and he’s trying to get studying early.

Nursey feels pretty confident that he knows what kind of poetry Dex likes. He doesn’t have the patience, nor the inclination, to get into a long poem. Short and sweet. And probably rhyming. Everyone loves rhyming poems.

“You should look up _Harlem_ , by Langston Hughes.” Nursey says. “Sometimes it’s called _A Dream Deferred_.” 

He waits while Dex pulls over his laptop and searches it. He’s rewarded with a small grin on his d-partner’s face. Of course Dex would like that one. He’s probably read it before, in high school. But being in college, in a world aimed at reaching and setting new dreams? It’s a fitting place to read it. 

Nursey smiles back at Dex and then turns to look out the window again. Dex is a dreamer too, even if he won’t admit it.


	2. Hickeys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a Jack/Bitty one, requested by musicwillrule. She specifically requested hickeys.

They’re not in the Haus. They really can’t be in the Haus, because Jack’s pretty sure Bitty would die of embarrassment if they were. But Faber seems fitting. The season is over. The rink is quiet. No one will miss them for now. 

“Lord, Jack,” Bitty breathes, taking a moment to relax against the wall behind him. “If you keep this up, I’ll be wearing a turtleneck to go home this summer!”

Jack huffs out a laugh. Bitty’s exposed shoulders and chest are peppered with many small bruises. He’s avoided Bitty’s neck for now, only because they’d be visible and… well… Jack knows himself well enough to know what’d happen then. Jack’s not sure he could keep from staring in public, let alone keep his hands to himself.

Bitty trails a hand up and down Jack’s arm, fondly. They take a few moments to stand together, just breathing in each other.

Jack runs his thumb over a hickey that came dangerously close to Bitty’s collar bone. “You sure you don’t mind?” he asks.

“We’ve discussed this, Mr. Zimmermann.” Bitty says, letting his hand move back up Jack’s arm and landing on his neck. He rubs his fingers into Jack’s hair and pulls his head down closer to his level. “I _like_ it.”

Jack tightens his hands on Bitty’s waist, and leans down to kiss him again, already planning where to aim the next one. Hickey is only one letter away from hockey, after all. It’s only natural he give it his best.


	3. Graduation Outfits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Jack/Bitty, requested by 65pinkroses. Concerning Bitty helping Jack pick his graduation outfit.

“You know how tempted I am to just go nude under this thing?” Shitty asked from the doorway to the bathroom. He held out the graduation robe in front of him, letting it fall out of its creases from the bag it had been packaged in. 

“I’m surprised I don’t have to tell you to put pants on.” Jack answered. He was just opening his own robe, and he laid it out on his bed with the cap.

There was a knock at Jack’s half-opened bedroom door, and Bitty poked his head in. “Lardo sent me up to ask if y’all wanted froyo.” 

“Yes!” Shitty said immediately. He tossed his robe onto Jack’s bed. “I don’t feel like thinking about any of this yet.” He gestured vaguely towards the robe and Jack and ran a hand through his hair. “You in, Jack?”

Jack shook his head. “Nah. I’m gonna figure out what I’m wearing at commencement.” 

Bitty’s eyes lit up with an excited gleam. “Oh, are we outfit planning?” And before Jack could say another word, Bitty was at his closet.

Behind Bitty’s back, Shitty gave Jack a wink. “Have fun, boys.” He waved, and left. Jack stood a moment, frowning at the spot Shitty had been in. Of course. Lardo had probably planned that. 

“Good _ness_ , Jack. Why does one man need so many suits of the same color?” Bitty pulled out the arm of a black jacket. 

So, their afternoon started. 

Jack had tried on every single item of suitable clothing he had, from business casual ( “I didn’t know you even owned a plaid button-up shirt.” “I feel like a lumberjack in that.” “Pfft. Lumber _Jack_ ” ) to black tie formal ( “I’ve never seen you wear this!” “I’m not wearing a tuxedo to graduation, Bittle.” “Oh, just put it on.” )

Finally, Jack sat down on his bed, narrowly avoiding sitting on his cap. “I almost feel like I wanna pull a Shitty.”

Bitty was sorting through Jack’s small collection of ties. He was quiet a moment before his face turned red. “Jack Laurent Zimmermann, you are not going naked to your own graduation!” 

Jack smirked. He kind of liked seeing Bitty get flustered. “Must do some good, look how Shits turned out.” 

“I -” Bitty took a moment to collect himself. “I have put a whole afternoon into your wardrobe, you are wearing clothes if I have to dress you myself.” 

Jack resisted the urge to drop a sarcastic ‘Yes, Dear.’ He settled instead with, “Whatever you say, Bittle,”

Bitty picked up another tie, this one had been on he bottom of the pile. It was a plain but pretty light blue. He held it out between them, casting an appraising eye between it and Jack.

“Mom got me that one.” Jack volunteered, feeling small under Bitty’s scrutiny. 

“I can see why.” Bitty smiled. 

The rest of the outfit came together rather quickly after that. Jack was dressed, and, almost without thinking, he handed the tie to Bitty. Who automatically reached up and draped it around Jack’s neck. His cheeks were flushed just the slightest pink as he stared to tie it, saying, “I still think you oughta try a bow tie, but maybe that’s more a Southern thing.” 

It took Jack an embarrassingly long time to notice Shitty back at his door. Shitty was smiling, giving Jack a knowing look. Jack felt his face get warm. 

“You’re back!” Bitty called, noticing Shitty. He stepped away from Jack and presented him, grandly opening his arms. 

“You’re a beaut, son.” Shitty nodded approvingly. “I shouldn’t need any help, Bitty, my outfit’s easy as the day I was born.”

Bitty’s face went from Proud and Pleased to Shocked and Alarmed. “Oh, Lord, I didn’t think you were serious!” 

Jack ran his fingers over his tie, not fully listening to Shitty trying to convince them of the benefits of going nude under a graduation robe. 

_Maybe Bittle will tie it on graduation day too._


	4. Best Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack/Shitty, requested by anonymous.

“Five words to describe me, huh?” Shitty leans against him, disregarding all personal space to read the twitter questions over Jack’s shoulder. “Let me provide you some: Charming… Sick Flow…”

“Intelligent,” Jack continued, before grunting, “and heavy, and almost always high.”

Shitty leaned further on Jack, almost pushing him into the keyboard. “Too many words, Jack. Those don’t _count_.” He gave a final shove on Jack’s back, before Jack started laughing and shoved him off.

“C’mon, Shits, what am I supposed to say?” Jack tapped the keyboard, absently. 

Shitty went quiet for a moment, thinking. Then he gently pressed his head against Jack’s. This time the lack of personal space was intimate, less joking around and more… supportive. “Whatever you want, man. Answer it with what you think.”

Jack sat for a moment, wondering how to condense the best four years of his life down to five words.

_One of my best friends._

He hit the tweet button and felt Shitty hug him from behind. “You’re mine too, bro.”


	5. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack/Bitty requested by dragonsspire. Bitty helping Jack move into his Providence apartment.

“Are you going to bring a pie?” Jack tries to sound like he’s chirping, but Bitty can hear the strain in his voice.

‘Oh, you know me,” Bitty answers, “I’ll probably whip something up to bring with me!”

He’s laying on his bed, holding his phone next to his ear. He hears Jack give a small laugh, and finds himself wishing he could see him. After their rocky start, Bitty’s learned to love those times he could see Jack smile. 

“I know you’ve only been there a little while, but, do you like it?” Bitty asks.

“Yeah.” Jack says, and then pauses. “But it feels like a hotel.”

“Mmm. It’s not home yet.” Bitty translates, nodding. “Well, I suppose that’s what a housewarming party is for.”

“That’s what George said,” Jack said, and the two fell quiet again. 

Bitty opened his mouth, ready to tell Jack about his Aunt Marie’s last housewarming party (and can you imagine, the front wall still has a dent from where his cousin Chad backed a truck into it), and almost missed Jack’s quiet murmur of, “I miss the Haus.” 

Right then and there, Bitty knew what he had to do.

~

“What’s all this?” Jack asked. He opened his door, anticipating a hug from Bitty, greeted by an armful of plastic grocery bags.

“Well, I wasn’t gonna let you host a housewarming party without the essentials, was I?” Bitty announced, unable to contain his smile at seeing Jack. And Jack didn’t bother to stop the smile spreading across his own face. 

He took a bag from Bitty’s arms, and glanced in it, recognizing the ingredients at once. “It’s a good thing I unpacked the kitchen for you then.”

And this. With Bitty in his kitchen, filling his apartment with the smells of an apple pie and the sound of chatter, this started to feel a little more like home.


	6. Graduation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Jack/Bitty, requested by goodie-2-chainz. Get together at graduation.

“Oh my, I’m a mess,” Bitty says to Lardo, rubbing his hands over his face. “When I see them, I think I’m just gonna cry!”

They’re walking down to meet the graduates. The ceremony is finished and the field is now swarming with caps, gowns, and crying parents. 

“Hold it together, Bits,” Lardo says, her own eyes looking very wet, “You cry, I cry.”

Johnson is trailing along in front of them, instinctively leading them through the crowd to Jack and Shitty, and simultaneously giving them both a place to hide and wipe their eyes.

And then there they are. They have a wide berth in the crowd, in part because of Bad Bob’s grand presence, but mostly because Shitty’s grandparents have very sour expressions on. (”It’s called a man-bun, Grandmother.”)

Shitty gives a loud yell and runs to them when he sees them, Jack not far behind. 

The four are hugging and Johnson pats Bitty on the shoulder before wandering over towards the parents, still huddled together on the lawn. He says something about a necessary distraction for the regular plot to continue, but Bitty isn’t listening.

Shitty is swinging Lardo in a circle, and he’s laughing and she might be crying but Bitty can’t tell because Jack has his arms around him, and Bitty just wants to be kissing him. 

And then they are. And Bitty’s too shocked to cry, and he’s too happy to think of anything else, and when they pull apart to breathe, they’re both laughing.

“I’ve been waiting to do that.” Jack says breathlessly, and Bitty nods.

“Me too!” He says, “You should have told me, Jack!” Bitty pounds his fist lightly on Jack’s chest.

Jack just laughs. “Froyo dates weren’t enough? I bought you an _oven_ , I thought that would have been obvious.”

And, yeah, Bitty has to agree it was. 

_This boy._


	7. Concussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No pairing. The whole team reacting to Bitty being hurt, rather than the other way around. Requested by anonymous..

**Lardo:** The team manager is well-versed in what to do when a player gets a concussion. Whereas the medical staff and coaches simply tell him, “No electronics for a while,” it’s Lardo who wrestles the phone from Bitty’s hand. 

“You have to get better first, Bits,” she says, and it’s possibly the scared expression on her face, the _tears_ threatening to fall, that make him listen more than the advice itself. It’s her first experience with a dangerously injured player, an injured friend, and she’s worried.

They sit together in the training room, and then on the way home, both grateful for each other.

**Shitty:** He knows the medical rules. He also knows the campus. It’s Shitty who tracks down Bitty’s roommate and gives him a list of instructions of how to help. The roommate is less than pleased, but Shitty doesn’t care. 

“Listen, Bits,” he says, “Tell me if you feel okay in your dorm or not, cause you can totally stay in the Haus if you need. You can sleep on the couch and I’ll even buy a cover for it and everything.”

On second thought, his dorm might be quieter. It’s not like Bitty’s roommate is there that often. Shitty settles with checking up on him every morning at breakfast.

**Ransom:** He’s a chivalrous kind of friend. He tries to be at Bitty’s side whenever he’s not panicking over his own finals. He even carries Bitty’s backpack for two weeks, until Bitty realizes that he’s making himself late to his own lessons.

“Lord, Ransom, it’s a concussion, not a broken leg. I’ll be fine!” Bitty finally shoos him off, but not until promising to admit when he feels strained.

He offers to help him study too, but even concussed Bitty knows that will never be a good idea. It’s kind, though, which Bitty appreciates.

**Holster:** He’s been through this before. Minor concussions are common in the world of contact sports, and Holster’s dealt with many teammates who’ve been worse off and more stubborn than Bitty. Though not by much. The boy is small but determined, and it’s a team effort to keep him resting that first week.

“It pains me bro, but if we’re gonna listen to Nicki slay it on this track, we’re gonna have to keep the volume down.” And if it takes a few tries, Holster can deal with that. Bitty will get better and he’ll make sure of it.

And when he realizes that the oven timer makes Bitty flinch, he kicks him out of the kitchen and occupies the stove with grilled cheese sandwiches until it doesn’t anymore.

**Jack:** He is nothing if not a good captain. But he goes very quiet for the rest of the year, more so than plain old post-post-season blues. He blames himself, and Bitty knows it. He doesn’t know _why_ but he assumes it has something to do with captaincy.

“Oh, trust me, Jack, if I’m good enough to bake a pie, I’m good enough for anything.” And Jack, if nothing else, has to believe him. Because he has started to believe in Bitty. 

He’s begun to sit in the kitchen to study whenever Bitty is over baking, to settle his own mind that Bitty’s okay. 

**Johnson:** Out of anyone, he’s the most confident. While Bitty’s reassurances to his own well-being are treated with skepticism, Johnson’s are taken with a bit more gravity. Everyone knows that Johnson _knows_ things.

“You’ll be back,” he says one day, sitting next to Bitty on a bench on the Quad, “Next season you’ll be back and all of this will just have been character development.” And as confusing as it is, it’s comforting to hear.

So Johnson promises his dibs, and everyone knows it will be alright.


	8. Too Late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack/Bitty angst, prompt line: "I almost lost you." Requested by anonymous.

**I almost had you:** After the first few pies, Jack thought he had a pattern going. Bitty baked when he was happy. Any time he smelled the oven going, he could assume that he’d come downstairs to find a happy little Bitty, making something that was certainly not nutritionist approved. 

So the first time he came down to find Bitty scowling into his batter, throwing a spoon at the sink with less care than usual, Jack was surprised. It was a pie, for sure, and he was baking but… maybe the ingredients were different here? 

Jack retreated back up the stairs before he was noticed. He almost got the pattern.

**I almost lost you:** Jack’s had teammates get concussions before. But he stood at the door of the training room, still sweaty and out of breath from the game, watching the team trainer give Bitty the concussion test. Concussion confirmed. 

Jack felt a pit open in his stomach. He’d finally got Bitty to trust him, promised he’d get his back, and now this. He’d be lucky if Bitty was ever on his line again. Hell, he’d be lucky if Bitty ever spoke to him again. 

But Bitty glances over from the table, his eyes wet with tears he was unwilling to let fall. He gave Jack a shaky thumbs up, and it possibly made Jack feel worse.

**I finally had you:** Jack considered how his father had finally asked his mother out. Flowers. Chocolate. An invitation to the ice rink. He’d heard the story of his parents’ first date many times. He’d never thought an oven, of all things would be part of his.

But here he is, Bitty crying into his shirt, a spangly new oven sitting in its place in the Haus kitchen. He’s got his arms around Bitty, and is fastidiously ignoring the looks Shitty is throwing them. 

It’s only taken all semester, but he can hold Bitty like he’s been wanting to. Close, comfortable, intimate. Lovingly. 

**And then I lost you:** Graduation came too soon. Jack wasn’t ready. Cap. Gown. Crying parents in Samwell gear. Shitty. Finals felt like yesterday, and then his bags are packed and suddenly the Haus is empty for the summer. Jack can’t actually believe he’s finished four years here. 

Truth be told, Jack can hardly believe he survived college at all; at times it still feels like he just got out of rehab. It’s a good feeling, a good accomplishment. He goes downstairs to find Bitty, feeling high with emotion, but - 

Bitty. Bitty’s not here. A goodbye pie is half-eaten and cold on the counter, accompanied by a note with smiley faces, signed ERB. With a sinking feeling, Jack realizes that he waited too long for this one. Bitty’s not coming with him. And Jack wasn’t ready for that.


	9. Phone Tag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow-up to last chapter, with a happy ending. Requested by goodie-2-chainz.

Shitty wakes up around midnight, his phone ringing loudly in his ear. It’s Jack’s ringtone (O Canada) and that’s what makes him answer with a groggy, “Jack?”

“I fucked up, Shitty.” 

Shitty’s awake now, and he sits up immediately. “What happened?”

“I… I got back from training today, Shits. I miss, I missed it… Why didn’t I do anything sooner?” Jack’s voice sounds tired and his words are disjointed, like he’s been worrying over this for a few hours.

Luckily, Shitty’s had four years of translating Jack. “What do you miss? You can’t fix anything until you admit it.”

“I want pie.” Jack admits, his voice quiet.

Shitty resists the urge to snort. Even when admitting it, Jack can’t say it. “Call him, bro.”

“Now?”

“Tomorrow. The next day. Sometime soon. If anything, he misses you too; you guys are friends. You’ll feel better when you hear his voice, trust me.” 

Jack is quiet. Long enough that Shitty almost falls back asleep.

“Thanks, Shits.” He finally says.

“You’re welcome, Jack.” Shitty yawns.

~

Timing has never been Jack’s friend. And as nice as it is to hear Bitty’s voicemail, he hates leaving messages.

“Bittle, hi. Uh, good luck in practice this week. I printed out the game schedule for this year. Yale is your first game, so, uh, eat more protein. Bye.”

Jack hangs up his phone and flops backwards onto his bed. He really sucks at leaving messages.

~

Timing has never been Bitty’s friend either. But if phone tag is what it takes, then he’ll do it. 

“Hi Jack! How is Providence treating you? I can’t wait to watch your first game, we’re already planning a viewing party. I’m making pie. Well, I’m making a pie right now, but I’m planning a pie for the party too. Um, have a good day!”

~

And so it goes. 

~

“Hi, Bittle. Thanks for the cookies. My roommate ate, like, four of them while we were in New York. He wants to know if you’ll send peanut butter ones next time, but you don’t have to. I mean, unless you feel like it. But don’t, um, take time away from other stuff. Um, anyway. Thanks.”

~

“Hi, Jack! I’m on my way to class, but I just had to call. Those ducklings you took pictures of last year on the Pond? They’re back, and a new batch of photography students were camped out on the beach all trying to get a perfect shot. It made me think of you. I hope you’re still taking pictures, you have to send me some!”

~

“Bittle, thank your mom for the care package, it was really kind of her to think of me. The measuring cups she sent were nice, so I’ll figure out something to make. Any ideas? I don’t, uh. Well, you know how good I am at this. I’ll try making whatever you suggest.” 

~

“Hi Jack! Congratulations on your win last night! Y’all played wonderfully. Your line is so fast out there! We won yesterday, too! Chowder is gonna get another shutout soon, we can all feel it. Oh, speaking of, he’s bringing Farmer around this afternoon, so I have to go make something. Love- ah, talk you soon!”

~

“We lost tonight. I, merde, Bitty. I’m sorry, I didn’t think about what to say. I just… I had to call you. I’ll, uh, I’ll talk to you later.” 

~ 

Until finally, on an evening off, Jack’s phone rings while he’s eating dinner in his apartment. After checking the caller ID, he quickly grabs it up, “Hello?”

“Hi Jack! Oh! Hi Jack!” Bitty’s voice sounds almost breathless. “I finally caught you!”

Jack lets out a breath he hadn’t even known he was holding. “Hey, Bittle. Good assist last night, they televised the game.”

“Thanks!” Bitty says. “Wicks is a great line mate, I think we’re playing really well together! But… it’s nothing like playing with you.” He’s quiet for a moment, before admitting, “I miss you.” 

Jack lets himself say, “I miss you too.” 

“I’m baking a maple-apple pie, and I thought of you,” Bitty says, and Jack can hear the clink of a metal bowl being set in the sink. The pie must be in the oven now. “What are you up to?” 

“I’m eating dinner,” Jack answers, and he cant stop smiling. Because this feels good again. They may be miles apart, but Bitty’s still baking. Jack is still sitting at his kitchen table, with Bitty chattering about his day. This is what Jack missed, and he realizes that it might not be too late.

“We… we could do this, couldn’t we?” Jack asks, finally, finding a break in conversation. 

It’s a bit of a non-sequitur statement, but like a no-look pass, Bitty knows exactly where Jack is. He laughs and says, “Yes, Jack. I think we could.”


	10. Graduation 2018

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nursey/Dex graduation, requested by missamazinggracie.

“I can’t believe we’ve been here four years.” Nursey says. He’s got his mortarboard in his hands, spinning it around idly. “Actually,” he adds, “I can’t believe we didn’t kill each other in four years.”

Dex is adjusting his graduation robes, and he snorts. “Seriously.” He eyes Nursey in the mirror. “I’m glad we turned it around. Punching your face is nice, but kissing it is way more satisfying.” 

Nursey fumbles and drops his cap and Dex laughs again. 

With a grunt, Nursey grabs up his cap and smacks Dex in the arm with it. “Shut up, dude.” But he’s smiling, so Dex pulls him closer. 

“We’re done!” he says, “We’re officially graduated!”

“Not until this afternoon,” Nursey reminds him, but he can feel a balloon of happiness welling up inside him.

“Okay, whatever. Nerd.” Dex rolls his eyes, but it’s a fond look now, so different than how it used to be. 

“Says the honors student.” Nursey tugs on Dex’s cords with his free hand. The other is clasped tightly in Dex’s. 

There’s a hurried thumping up the Haus stairs, and then Chowder is throwing the door open, his mortarboard already lopsided on his head. “Guys, hurry up and come downstairs! Bitty’s here!” 

Dex doesn’t bother letting go of Nursey’s hand, and the two run back down the stairs after Chowder. And further too; they don’t plan on letting go any time soon.


	11. Coffee or Tea?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nursey/Dex arguing over coffee vs tea. Requested by headspacedeficit

Dex reached for his mug without looking, too interested in finding an op-ed to argue over with Nursey. He took a sip, and then made a face, pulling back to see Nursey giving him an amused look. He’d grabbed the wrong mug.

“How the hell do you drink tea like this?” Dex muttered, pushing the mug back across the table. Nursey’s black tea was plain, with no sugar or milk. 

“It’s better like that.” Nursey answered. “Antioxidants and stuff, you know? I actually want a healthy drink, not a sugary mess.” He gave a pointed look at Dex’s coffee. Dex had dumped at least three packets of sugar in his mug. He could only handle so much of the bitter Stop-n-Shop brand coffee. 

“God, you’re a hipster.” Dex retorted instead.

“How is it hipster if it’s literally the most popular drink in the world?” 

Dex shrugged. “Coffee’s more popular here.” 

“Starbucks is basically just milkshakes. Not actual coffee.” Nursey said.

“Hipster.” Dex muttered petulantly, finally taking a drink from his own mug. 

They fell quiet for a moment, letting the conversation of the kitchen continue around them. 

But Dex couldn’t let it go. “Seriously, does it wake you up at all? Like, coffee has caffeine!” 

Nursey rolled his eyes. “Chill, Dex. Maybe try some tea. It’ll help with that.” 

Dex frowned. “Don’t tell me to chill. It’s too early to deal with your bullshit.” 

~

Bitty watched them argue from his position at the stove, getting ready to intervene with another plate of bacon. He caught Chowder’s eye and made a worried face.

Chowder just shook his head and gestured under the table. Bitty leaned down to look, under the guise of putting a pan away. He quickly had to stand back up and face the other way, hiding a huge grin behind his hand.

Even though they were bickering, Dex and Nursey’s ankles were still tangled together under the table.


	12. Insomnia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from headspacedeficit: Nursey is the kind of asshole who blasts Dirt Poor Robins in his brownstone at 2 AM on a weeknight because his boyfriend can't sleep. Nurse figures that if 2 AM isn't spent on sleeping, it's done partying so he gets up, plays anything loud with a beat and starts gyrating; either they both slumber or neither of them. It makes Dex fond, despite everything. Dex's insomnia can be a real problem for both him and, apparently, Derek Nurse's neighbors.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this.” Dex could feel his ears heating up, and he wondered if Nursey could even hear him over the deafening volume of his music.

“Who needs sleep!” Nursey shouted, and spun out of his chair to dance in the middle of his bedroom. 

“Oh my God.” Dex muttered and buried his head in his arms. “You know its a Tuesday? Isn’t your neighbor a doctor or something? You’re gonna ruin someone’s day tomorrow.” 

“What?” Nursey cupped a hand over his ear, “You mumbled!” 

Dex rose his head and, quietly as he could manage and still be heard, said, “You’re gonna ruin someone’s day tomorrow!” 

“Oh!” Nursey shrugged nonchalantly, “No one deserves to have a better day than you.”

Dex felt his face turn red and he dropped his head down. He still wasn’t used to Nursey’s easy compliments. 

All of a sudden, the music was turned down a few notches and Nursey came closer. “Hey,” he said softly, “you know if I was there, I’d cuddle you to sleep instead? This is the next best option.” 

Dex couldn’t help but smile at his laptop, Nursey’s face now taking up his entire screen. “You know you’re being an asshole?” 

Nursey just laughed. “Wouldn’t be the first time.” 

And he turned his music back up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting around to posting these.


	13. Go Back to Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from chartyourowncourse: "Go back to sleep" off of a tumblr fic prompt.

Study dates became serious once Farmer got involved. Not that that was a bad thing. Caitlin was one of the most dedicated students Nursey had ever met, and he was on a team with Ransom. She’d whirl her way into the library, freshly showered after volleyball practice and smelling like strawberries, and would take over their table with her color-coordinated planner.

Nursey is pretty sure he’d never got his homework done so promptly before. 

Sometimes, like tonight, they were all tired. Caitlin’s weekend had been a volleyball tournament, and they had just returned from a back-to-back road trip. So it was really no surprise when Dex dropped his head onto folded arms over his history book and closed his eyes.

After a few minutes, Caitlin leaned over the table and whispered, “Is he asleep?”

“Probably.” Chowder whispered back, “Coach had us running extra drills this morning!” 

“And Dex doesn’t believe in coffee after noon.” Nursey snorted. 

~

Dex remained asleep until Caitlin got up to leave, and Chowder hurriedly packed up his things so he could walk her home. 

“Wha - what time is it?” he asked, through a yawn. 

“It’s not even eight.” Nursey pushed his hoodie across the table to Dex’s face. “I’ve still got a couple chapters to notate, go back to sleep.” 

“Hm.” Dex grunted and grabbed the hoodie, balling it up and using it like a pillow. “Wake me up at eight-thirty.” 

“Sure thing, Dex.” Nursey said, and returned to his book. 

~

At eight-thirty Dex had fabric lines on his face and Nursey ignored the drool spot on his favorite hoodie, because he was pretty sure Dex had never looked so relaxed. 

“Good nap?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Possibly one of my favorites. =)


End file.
